1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to devices, methods, and systems for securing network cabling or connectors.
2. Background and Relevant Art
Security concerns in data and communication infrastructures have increased in importance as more individuals, businesses, government, and military organizations increase reliance on data and communication networks. For example, both government and military agencies have adopted physical security standards for sensitive information facilities, such as the DCID 6/9, NSTISSI, which is hereby incorporated in its entirety. A substantial aspect of securing data and communication network infrastructure is to secure the cabling and cabling connections needed to form the data and communication networks.
Communication devices, including for example, computers, telephones, fax machines and other devices, often receive and transmit information through cables. Fiber optic cables, copper cables, and other communication cables may carry information to and from these communication devices. Cable boxes are often used as connection points to organize and separate cables within a communication network. Most office buildings have at least one cable box between the point at which a data cable enters a building and the point at which a data cable terminates at a communication device.
Cable boxes can include, for example, consolidation boxes and service boxes. Consolidation boxes can be located in a ceiling, floor, or within a wall, and can provide network access and service to many different end users. Cable bundles commonly referred to as “trunk lines” or “primary cables” are thick and can contain many individual cable strands. Primary cables may enter into a consolidation box and be separated and distributed to several different service boxes. Specifically, the consolidation box may separate primary cable bundles are into smaller bundles or individual cables, which are commonly referred to as “branch lines” or “secondary cables.”
Service boxes can also be located in a ceiling, or a floor, or within a wall. Unlike consolidation boxes, service boxes may service a single end user or a small number of end users. Secondary cables from a consolidation box may enter into a service box through a designated entry point. A service box may also receive power cables through a designated entry point. A network architect can secure connector modules to the ends of these secondary cables and power cables. These connector modules may contain one or more connector ports. For example, a power outlet, a phone jack, or another connector port may be located on a connector module within a service box. These connector ports can be compatible with cable plugs that are secured to the ends of cables that that connect directly to communication devices.
Since conventional communication cables terminate, connect, and/or divide within cable boxes, including both consolidation boxes and service boxes, these cable boxes are an important component in maintaining a secure data and communications infrastructure. For example, network maintenance may demand access to a consolidation or service box to enable reconfiguration of the cabling located within. At the same time, security concerns may demand that only authorized personnel have access to the cable boxes. Moreover, some facilities may have multiple data and/or communication networks. In such a case, each network may have different security classifications requirements that may demand various levels of access from different groups of authorized personnel.
In order to maintain security, conventional cable boxes (including both consolidation boxes and service boxes) are typically configured with the capacity to accept only one type of classified network. Thus, a facility with several different levels of classified networks may need separate cable boxes for each of the classified networks. In this situation, a large number of cable boxes may be required in order to maintain security for each of the disparate network classifications.
In addition to the obvious increase in cost created by the large number of cable boxes, the amount of additional interior space required to accommodate each of the cable boxes also substantially increases. Depending on the design of a particular facility, it may become difficult or impossible to accommodate the required boxes that may be needed by each individual network type or security classification.
Conventional cable boxes may be limited to data and not accept power cables. For example, conventional cable boxes may call for a separate electrical power infrastructure to be run independently to each individual cable box. Thus, an increase in cable boxes may also result in additional electrical power cables and additional electrical power service boxes. The additional electrical power infrastructure that may be required by conventional cable boxes increases the cost, and further limits the amount of interior space to accommodate the network infrastructure.
In addition to the above identified issues, which are common to cable boxes in general, raised access floor service boxes in particular can present unique challenges. First, due to size constraints, conventional raised access floor service boxes may only be able to accommodate a limited number of connector ports and may not be compatible with fiber optic cables. Because of this, multiple raised access floor service boxes may be needed to provide a required number of connector ports. Second, it may not be possible to preload conventional raised access floor service boxes. If a box cannot be preloaded, the connector modules within the box may need to be wired and installed by a network architect after receipt of the service box.
Third, conventional raised access floor service boxes may be configured to have cables or cable bundles entering or exiting the box on different sides. This may present a problem during installation as conventional raised access floor service boxes are often the same size as a standard floor tile. Thus, if wires or bundles of wires enter or exit the box on different sides, a network architect installing the box may need to remove several floor tiles in order to install. Finally, some conventional raised access floor service boxes may be susceptible to tampering because screw heads are exposed or the box is not secure in some other way.
Thus, there is an increased need in the industry for cable boxes, in particular raised access floor service boxes, that provide secure access to a variety of network types of classifications.